This invention relates to a golf club shaft protector, and more particularly to a hollow plastic tube of predetermined diameter and length that provides suspended non-engagement of the golf club shaft adjacent the opposite open upper and lower ends of the hollow plastic tube.
Golfers have historically experienced problems in the care and management of their golf clubs during use and travel. As will be appreciated, golf clubs are subject to rough handling during use and travel, which can lead to early and unexpected damage and deterioration. Some recent developments have resulted in better golf clubs, but have produced unexpected early damage or deterioration. For example, golf clubs with expensive graphite, titanium and other exotic golf club shafts have functioned extremely well on the golf course, but can be quickly damaged simply by inserting and removing a golf club from a golf bag.
Golf club heads are conventionally protected by a variety of different golf club covers, but there has never been an acceptable device for protecting golf club shafts. Others have tried to develop an acceptable commercial product. For example, there have been several different types of protective tubes and narrow elongated containers which have been developed for the express purpose of protecting golf club shafts. Such devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,985,229; 4,664,382; 4,932,523; 4,938,349 and 5,088,600. Each of these patents disclose a variety of different devices designed to protect golf club shafts from damage or deterioration during use and travel. While certain features of these patented devices are very desirable, as a whole, they have failed to take into consideration the practical as well as economical aspects that must be considered in designing a golf club shaft protector. As will be discussed in detail below, the present invention overcomes the problems associated with the prior art, while providing an extremely practical, reliable and economical golf club shaft protector.